"If ye are prepared, ye shall not fear"

Emergency and Disaster Response–February 2014

Long-Term Water Storage

Between the California drought and the West Virginia chemical spill, having adequate and clean water is on my mind a lot lately. We have been directed to store at least one gallon per person per day for two weeks to cover the bare essentials of drinking and hygiene, but we really need to understand what a small amount of water this is. Estimates on water typically used per person per day in the United States range from 80-150 gallons! While much of this can be pared down in emergency situations, a ½ gallon hygiene allowance may feel a bit less hygienic than we would wish. As an experiment, measure how much water you need to use before your hands and face feel really clean, or see how little water you are comfortable washing up your lunch dishes in. Also, look at any special needs your household may have—babies, pets and midsummer heat waves will necessitate extra water, for instance. Finally, consider additional water your food storage might require–beans, rice and dehydrated foods all require good quantities of water to become edible. Get the minimum, by all means, but then figure out how much you are really comfortable with and plan to build up as you are able.

Listed below are some of the common means of water storage with the price per 14 gallons and the pros and cons of each.

—Larger containers (unsealed, moderate risk of contamination, not portable when full, must be rotated or treated annually, require bleach to sterilize, most require pump or siphon) total price, price per one gallon, dimensions and full weight—